‘Super Mad at Everything All the Time’ author Alison Dagnes

What to look for on Smart Talk Thursday, May 9, 2019:

The new book Super Mad at Everything All the Time — Political Media and Our National Anger is described as exploring the polarization of American politics through the collapse of the space between politics and culture, as bolstered by omnipresent media. It seeks to explain this perfect storm of money, technology, and partisanship that has created two entirely separate news spheres: a small, enclosed circle for the right wing and a sprawling expanse for everyone else. This leads to two sets of facts, two narratives, and two loudly divergent political sides with extraordinary anger all around.

Based on extensive interviews with leading media figures and politicos, this book traces the development of the media machine, giving suggestions on how to restore our national dialogue while defending our right to disagree agreeably.

Author Alison Dagnes points out in the book that every controversy, insult, or conspiracy theory is magified because each can be read, heard or seen on devices that fit into the palms of our hands — 24-hours-a-day — produced by a source that may or may not have an agenda.

Alison Dagnes is a political science professor at Shippensburg University.